Hidden in Smoke

by Harper Wylde

  “Who approved the alcohol usage?” Ryder whined. “She’s killing me here!”

  “It was all Rini! Blame the bear!” I reached forward and turned the radio on, desperate for my music back. I flipped through the stations until a good dancing song came on, preceding to wiggle in my seat, moving as much as the seat belt would allow.

  Well, if they wouldn’t let me physically play, I damn well would mentally! I made sure all of my walls were down and shoved image after image down the link: Theo stripping off his shirt, his abdomen contracting as he moved his hips in time to the music. Hiro grinding against Ryder, their bodies slick with sweat as they held out their hands for me to join them in their bump and grind; Damien rocking his hips into the floor, his dark eyes locked on me, his wings extended behind him; Killian pulling his jeans down his muscled thighs as he ground his hips to the beat of the song.

  “Holy fucking hell!” Damien swore between his teeth, his hands white-knuckling against the steering wheel. “Trying to make me crash, Nix?”

  I pouted. It was Ryder’s turn to groan. “Don’t. Don’t make that face.” I couldn’t help it though. My blood throbbed with every beat of the music, the ache building and building inside of me. The whole car was spinning, and I couldn’t stop the giggles and the moans that were falling from my lips one after the next as I rocked my hips against the leather of the seat, trying to ease the ache that was building faster and faster inside of me.

  “Damien, pull over.” Hiro’s voice was soft but strong. I moaned as the car stopped and my world twisted even faster, all the lights blending into a rainbow of colors. Gentle hands scooped me from my seat, placing me on a hard lap. I groaned, arching against the hardness pressing against my spine, needing more of the friction. “Shh. That’s a good girl, I’ve got you.” The car started again, and I was starting to get angry.

  “Why won’t someone fuck me!” The bitchy, irrational cry tore from my throat as I rocked hard, desperate for contact.

  “Bloody hell. She’s going to kill me.” Killian’s voice was scratchy; the words pulled from a dry throat.

  “Fine. I’ll just do it myself.” Moans and gasps followed that pronouncement. Arms as hard as steel held me in an inflexible grip, not allowing me to move my hands to where I needed them.

  “Ryder, think you can help?” Hiro’s voice was remarkably calm considering how hard I could feel him pressing into my hips as I rocked against him.

  “Wha- what?!?” Ryder’s voice was nearly a squeak, and I giggled, rolling my head to try and get him into my line of vision.

  “Come on, Twilight Sparkle. You’re a unicorn. You’ve got to be horny.” Ryder gaped at me, his gaze jumping between mine and Hiro’s.

  “Imbecile.” Of course, that would be Theo.

  “Mr. Succinct and scary.” I thought that was what I said at least. My tongue didn’t appear to want to work with me. I stuck it out, crossing my eyes to try and study it.

  “She’s trashed, Ry. She’s going to start getting sick any minute here. You can already see the sweat on her skin.” Hiro’s voice was moving into impatient, his grip on me still solid as I tried to free my hands.

  “I’m not sick,” I protested, continuing my attempts to pull away. Though, to be fair, that ache inside of me was starting to twist, settling painfully into my stomach rather than pulsing between my legs. The pretty, swirling, spinning colors were beginning to take on a mild edge. I groaned, this time not in pleasure, however. I dropped my head onto Hiro’s shoulder, squeezing my eyes shut against the too-quick spinning of the world.

  “We’ve got you, Annie girl.” Kill’s voice was a caress. “Ryder, can you start healing her before she actually hurls?”

  “I can try. Her Phoenix may not let me, though.” Ryder’s voice was doubtful, but he placed his hands on my neck, his power pushing into me. My Phoenix objected to being ill as much as I did. She pulled back some, allowing his power to fill me, to target the ache in my stomach and the pain in my head. As they began to lessen, I breathed easier, and Hiro’s grip on me loosened slightly. I turned in to him, burying my face into the crook of his neck. I was so tired.

  “Sleep, sweetheart. We’ll get you home safe.” Unable to resist Damien’s soothing voice, I let myself fall into the dark.

  Twenty-Nine

  Theo

  I absolutely hated parties. If it were up to me, we wouldn’t be going, order from the Council or not. I was reasonably skilled at finding a work excuse to avoid these insipid events.

  “Cheer up, Theo!” Ryder stood in front of the bathroom mirror, slicking pomade through his hair. “At least we get to have fun with Nix. We’ll probably get a chance to dance with her.”

  “Why can’t we just dance with her here?” I couldn’t keep the sulking tone out of my voice. “It’s not like Kill or I will actually dance in public, anyhow. It’ll just be you and Hiro. Besides, you know what this party will be like. Guys will be all over Nix, trying to hit on her and steal her away. We’ll be expected to be good little minions and encourage her. That doesn’t even count the useless females who will be all over us, trying to get us to make a commitment in public that we don’t want to make just so that they can claim our status.” Ok, I was slightly anti-social. I just didn’t see the point in it.

  “You always find someone to talk to. You could loosen up for once. Drink a gallon of vodka, have a little fun.” He continued to style hair that was already artfully mussed.

  “Why the hell are you so cheerful?” My Kraken was roaring inside of me, jealous in a way I hadn’t even known was possible.

  Ryder turned to me with a grin. “Look at this from my perspective. We are literally being ordered to go out, get drunk, and have fun. Yes, guys will hit on Nix and girls will hit on us. We’ll show Nix we’re not into anyone else, that she truly is the only one we see.”

  How the hell did his brain work? He was one of the most intelligent men I knew, and yet sometimes I felt like I needed to get drunk to follow any of his thought processes. How did he manage to get to answers without being able to think linearly? “So, how are other men hitting on Nix a positive thing for us?”

  “Easy. Nix hates liars. She hates anyone who is a blind follower, a user, or only sees her as a baby-maker. That’s pretty much all of the guys who will be there tonight. They see a phoenix as a way to raise their own status. You know the kind of guys that Ahmya and her father hang out with! This will show her how different we really are, that we truly are a perfect fit as mates for her, just as she fits us.” He turned back to the mirror with a shrug, this time adjusting the lines of his jeans. “Besides, it means we get to see her drunk again and in sexy clothes.”

  I gaped at my brother, completely shocked. I would be dizzy all of the time if my brain worked like that. It made a little sense, in an odd way. Ugh, now not only did I have to go to a party, but I also had to go to one while I had a headache. “Bloody hell, Ry. You’re insane.”

  I second that. Damien’s voice was a dry echo.

  Guys, enough of this. Hiro called. Nix is nervous, so are the rest of us. Let’s just focus on getting to this party. Ground rules—we need a sober one.

  I’ll stay sober. I offered up. Ryder’s right, it takes a gallon to put me on my ass anyway.

  None of us mess with any other girls. Hiro’s voice was ice cold. If you think there’s even a risk, stay away from the booze.

  Fuck that. Killians’ voice was nearly a roar. Why the hell would any of us touch another woman. You all know how we feel about Nix.

  Fine, then it shouldn’t be an issue. Final rule—never let yourself be alone with Ahmya. She’s trying to find a way to get us to signal our interest and lock us in. We can’t let it happen.

  Again, dude, duh. Ryder rolled his eyes at me in the mirror as he began to put all of his tools away. Come on, all of you. Let’s go have fun. Nix is stressed, we’re stressed, it’s time to show them they can’t manipulate us. Let’s enjoy our girl.

  Ryder jumped ahead of me, he
ading straight for Nix’s door. “Come on, Nix! The party’s already started. Let’s go already!”

  “I’m coming; I’m coming,” Nix grumbled as she opened the door. I froze, nearly slipping on the top step of the staircase.

  A cream, off-the-shoulder sweater bared the skin of her throat and cropped high enough to reveal the tiniest sliver of her stomach. The high-waisted red skirt nipped in, highlighting her figure. We had never seen her in a skirt, before. This one was short, stopping just above mid-thigh. Sheer black stockings caught my eyes as I tracked down her body. Dark black hearts traced down her thigh in a line until the stockings darkened at her knees. I wanted to lick that line, over and over again. A sturdy pair of boots stopped at her ankle bone, drawing my eye to the shapely curve of her calf. With her dark, silken hair cascading around her shoulders—offering peeks of her neck—she looked utterly edible.

  Ryder and I simply gaped at her. “What, don’t I look okay? I mean, Rini picked this stuff out…” She trailed off, tangling her fingers in the fabric.

  “What’s taking you guys so…” Damien trailed off as he reached the top of the staircase. “You’re stunning,” he breathed the words reverently as he studied her. A light flush infused her cheeks as she smiled.

  “You guys are sweet. Come on, let’s go. The faster we get there, the faster we can leave.

  I don’t want to take her anywhere. I want to lay her down, strip every piece of that gorgeous outfit off of her with my teeth, and make her scream. Hiro’s mental voice was thick with need.

  Bloody hell, Hiro. You’re going to make me lose it before we’re even out the damn door. Killian hissed the words. “Let’s go, everyone!” He bellowed up the staircase. I indicated that Nix should proceed me down the stairs, enjoying the way she moved down them. Maybe this night wouldn’t turn out so badly after all.

  I had been right, this party was awful. As if the pounding music wasn’t enough, the tight press of bodies, the inability to breathe, and the overwhelming smells of booze, sweat, and vomit had my Kraken thrashing, wishing for the cool, open space of the sea he missed.

  We had been here for an hour already, and I was itching to leave. I had angled myself to be able to keep an eye on all of my brothers as well as Nix, shifting my position when they changed theirs. I preferred to be in the background, to keep watch on those I cared for. So far Ahmya had been heeding my brothers’ warnings, watching only from a distance with her gaggle of followers.

  While some of her peers had approached Nix, each had been turned away. I could tell the catty comments of the other women bothered her, see it in the shifting of her body, the increased flush in her cheeks. Shifter culture was based on social climbing; it was impressed on us at a young age. Nix wouldn’t see it that way, however. She’d see that kind of conniving behavior as a betrayal, rather than a simple cultural move.

  The men had been impressed by her looks as I had expected—and feared. She had been surround by men off and on all evening, yet none seemed to hold her attention. She laughed and smiled with some, and outright told off others. Each time she still returned to me or my brothers’ sides.

  Sighing, I glanced at my watch yet again. Another hour. That’s all I would give this charade. None of us wanted to be here. We wanted to take Nix home and adore her, and that’s exactly what I was going to do. Damn the Council and their politics. I needed time with her and my brothers, and I was damn well going to get it.

  Thirty

  Nix

  The party was wearing on me. I wasn’t sure how long we had been here, but it felt like years. To my surprise, I’d met some friendly people. There were even a few girls I could see myself trying to befriend, but the majority of the people I’d met—male and female—hadn’t been worth the time or energy. Social climbers, lewd comments, and catty drama had followed me around everywhere I went, and I had heard more lousy pickup lines this evening than I’d heard in my entire life. I rolled my eyes as dipped my head to take a sip out of the closely guarded plastic cup in my hands. I’d been careful all evening to make sure no one tried to slip something into my drink. I didn’t trust anyone here except for my five men.

  I wished with all my might that Rini could have been here with me tonight. Her confidence and humor was greatly missed as I stood awkwardly amongst the crowd, doing a poor imitation of trying to look interested to appease the Council. Instead, I wished I could go home, curl up on the couch with my guys, and watch a movie or go hang out with Rini where I’d actually have a good time. Aside from the fact that I wanted my best friend here with me to make this party more fun, I wouldn’t wish this boring shindig on anyone, much less Rini. No, what grated at my nerves was the reason she wasn’t here to begin with. When I’d asked her if she’d come, she had winced and informed me that even if her and Ahmya had been friends—like that would ever happen—she wouldn’t have been invited because of her shifter status. She wasn’t “high class” enough—meaning she wasn’t a mythological. The more time I spent in this world the more I seemed to loathe it. Even the guys had looked uncomfortable when I’d addressed it with them. Thank God they didn’t agree with the stupid classism imposed upon us, even though they were mythologicals.

  I braced myself as a muscular guy with spiky brown hair swaggered in my direction. I tried not to scoff. Did he think that walk was going to help him look cool? Win him brownie points? Make me want to drop to my knees and beg him to mate me? I had to look away so I wouldn’t outright laugh, and I caught Damien smothering a smile at my train of thought a few yards away. I appreciated that they were never far away from me.

  “So you’re a phoenix named Nix, huh?” The shifter said. I inhaled deeply, trying to gauge what his creature was, but all I could pick up on was a musty smell mixed with too much cologne.

  I winced—partly from my assaulted senses and partly from his comment. When you put it that way, it did sound kind of dumb.

  “It’s actually a nickname based on my name, not my creature, but sure. Let’s go with that.” I snarked my answer, ready to be done with this guy. I was getting tired of all the male attention—well, male attention from anyone that wasn’t one of my five.

  “Hey there Annie girl.” Killian slid up next to me, a red solo cup in his hand. What the hell had he been drinking? The alcohol on his breath was telling.

  “Annie? So which is it… Nix or Annie?” The guy looked at me with a skeptical look on his face. A look that pissed me off. He had no right to know my name. His arrogance was giving me a headache. Time to put this piece of work in his place.

  “None of your damn business. Read my lips: I’m not interested.”

  “I like my girls with a little fire.” He flicked his tongue at me, and I wanted to barf. "You haven’t even gotten to know me yet, sweetheart.” The sound of Damien’s endearment for me on this guys lips made me grind my teeth together. Rolling my eyes, I turned my attention to Kill.

  “Hey. Back the fuck off!” He roared at the guy standing much to close to me. I moved to Kill’s side and soothed a hand over his chest.

  “It’s alright there big guy. I think you’ve had a little too much to drink. Let’s go get you something non-alcoholic.” I slid the red cup from his fingers and sidled up to him when he slung his arm around my shoulders. The possessive contact didn’t even bother me. I wanted others to see me in his arms and know I was already taken. This whole event was ridiculous. I fucking hated the Council for making me do this. I wasn’t some piece of meat.

  “Big guy… you do know you’re hanging all over a rabbit shifter don’t you?” The idiot leered, clearly thinking he had one-upped Kill and gotten under his skin. Truthfully, any mention of Killian’s Puca did just that. Before the Puca could utter a word, I narrowed my eyes at the douchebag.

  “There’s a reason for the phrase ‘breed like bunnies’, sweetheart.” I threw as much sass as I could into the nickname, “And this ‘rabbit’ is better than any vibrator any girl in this place has ever tried, which was already ten times better
than anything you could do with your dick. So back the fuck off if you know what’s good for you.” I let my fire creep into one of my hands, letting the orange glow of power shine, brightening the dark evening around us. When his eyes widened and he shrunk back a little, I turned my attention back to Kill and dragged him away from the fray. We’d drawn attention, but I didn’t care. I just wanted out of this place. Fuck; I decided I hated parties.

  When we were a sufficient distance away, and I was sure the village idiot wasn’t in pursuit, I looked up at Killian. His smile was so big that it was about to break his face. I laughed. “How much have you had?” I nodded to the cup in my hand.

  “Eh, the last time alcohol was involved it was a pretty great night.” His smile was addictive. I wanted to see this all-consuming grin on his face more often, and I resolved to do everything in my power to make that happen. The white of his teeth flashed in the darkened night like a beacon, and I couldn’t take my eyes off his face.

  We’d walked some ways from the party raging in the background, the gathering becoming white noise along with the gentle lapping of the water that was just steps away.

  Killian turned me toward him, taking the cup and setting it on the ground next to us. I shivered from the chill in the air. Hell, chill was the wrong word. I could tell that the weather was turning; autumn was disappearing, and winter was on the verge of making an appearance.

  Tucking me in his arms, he bent his head down to catch my eyes. “Did you mean what you said?”

  “To that asshole? Absolutely. And even though I haven’t tested the goods myself, I know everything I said is one hundred percent true.” I lifted my head higher, bringing my face closer to his, challenging him.

  “You are something else, Annie girl.” His eyes dropped down my face, taking in every inch of me. My elbows were tucked inside his arms, and my hands were on his chest. He squeezed me against his chest as he leaned down and placed a simple, gentle kiss on my cheek. Lifting his head, he brought his lips down on the other side of my face, gracing my other cheek with a kiss as well.